Raison d'etre

blaupunkt

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Wishing everyone a very prosperous chinese new year!Although the shroud of the financial crisis is thought to lift only by October '09,Let us hope that The Golden Ox bellows and charges his way through our Nation's Stock Market!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Doctors have concluded that if you find the man in the coffee beans in 3 seconds, the right half of your brain is better developed than most people. If you find the man between 3 seconds and 1 minute, the right half of the brain is developed normally. If you find the man between 1 minute and 3 minutes, then the right half of your brain is functioning slowly and you need to eat more protein. If you have not found the man after 3 minutes, the advice is to look for more of this type of exercise to make that part of the brain stronger!!! And, yes, the man is really there!!!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Reasons why I’m on cloud nine continued (sorry the previous one was rather self serving in nature...sigh)

2)She is someone I can always count on. Matters big or small, short or tall she'll be willing to help. It's just that I'm so used to self-reliance that I am embarassed to ask for anyone's help and will often decline her offer for fearing to trouble her. I guess sooner or later I must realise that 'troubling' is not the word that should be used as 'helping out' is what partners are for!

3)Whatever issue it is that I have she will listen, take her time to mull it over and will surprise me with mature constructive comments. I remember how I fretted about people littering right in front of me. I felt so useless without the authority or enough seniority to reprimand them. Even If I did tell them off they would either do it reluctantly or turn away without batting an eyelid. Taking 2 minutes to figure out the conundrum, she advises that I pick up the item the instant the person threw it and dispose of it properly whilst giving a pleading look at the person! –And this was even before we were together

4)She is an angel and a goddess in terms of anger management. Never has she ever thrown a childish tantrum. However we both have since learnt that keeping things inside till you're feeling calmer before confronting the source of the problem. (the recommended method)isn't always the best method...sometimes Its better to bring it out in the open rather than let it simmer just below the surface....especially so when when you're out on a day-long date! Harbouring unhappiness can really spoil your date.

5) She accepts me for who I am... Which is really a tall order considering all my queer queer quirkiness, my need for periods of solitude and my enigmatic personality, sometimes indecipherable even to myself.

6)She is super low maintenance haha- in terms of attention, emotionally, financially, but that doesn't mean that I will keep her to that low minimum! I will try my best......... I promise!!!

7) She is very nice to my parents. From my grandparents to my clinic’s nurse to my maid adore her to bits. Everytime I come back to Muar I will not be spared the question “where is Ruhui?”. Given the chance I guess the she can charm the whole neighbourhood. I can only hope I get the same reception at Ipoh!

8)She doesn’t get the monthly blues! In the event that she feels depressed then all that is needed is a tight hug and she’ll be just fine. Her thoughts wander more often during these times but I make sure I’m there to bring her back on track!

9)We have never and hopefully NEVER WILL drag a quarrel for more than a day. It's emotionally draining to maintain a 'cold war' and we have avoided that thus far.

12) She is as thrifty as can be, and we don’t mind having bread meals on dates when we catch ourselves splurging the day before..

13)She is learning to be romantic, she is trying. Although not quite there yet :-P its her effort that matters the most! She’s graduated from my faculty of Romanticology and I’m so proud of her!

14)She may not be all I want her to be but then sometimes I wonder whether I’m turning her into GI JANE! I want her to be tough and resilient, adventurous and fearless, ignore the rain and sun and perform boyish feats… I’m asking too much, am I not?

15)She is willing to compromise on so many things. I simply just pale in comparison when it comes to give and take. Once again, I promise to change my ways!

16) Her talents are many!- Drawing cutesy cutesies from her imagination- she never fails to tickle my funny bone. That aside I admire her for her accomplishments even before I met her. Especially so when she hid the fact she has been won numerous drawing competitions before!

17)She has the kindest soul- seldom judgmental, always forgiving. And this nature of hers simply makes her wonderful to be with and she paints the world with a rosy hue, always optimistic about people and always believing that things will turn out just fine.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Based in Terengganu but with activities based in Johor at the Sg Pulai Estuary,Its growing stronger by the day, for the Sixth Year running! (I think)

What joining SOS is like:-- FUN IN THE SUN!

The people there are multi-lingual so no worries! English, Chinese, Malay all accepted so ask all your friends to join

You’ll need to find your way to the Larkin Bus Station Johor Bahru where you need to get a cab to the SOS Headquarters.

Thereafter you’ll be briefed at the facility, and depending whether you’re involved in the morning or evening session you’ll be lodged for free at the facility. Bring a sleeping bag if you’re planning for that.

You’ll be taken to the jetty by car during the time of surveyAnd you’ll board a motor-boat out into the tebrau straits, passing under Causeway bridge and looking at the 2nd link bridge in the distance.

Having the wind in your Hair is one of the highlights of the trip. The air is salty and moist, the main difference from to what you’d get by sticking your head out of the car window at 100km/h.

Then it is ‘off the boat! mateys’ where you land on-no terra firma here- seagrass beds. Worry not as you’ll don sea-worthy boots! Next its getting to work- trawling nets for guys and for girls less physically demanding activities like punching data into GPS-es :-P

But the fun part is seeing all the cutesy sea creatures and getting to hold them up close and personal. Be careful of the ikan sembilang though! And if you’re lucky enough you’d get to see a pipefish! But the one I would really love to see are seadragons!No not this one!

This one!!!!

* Handle the animals with care and take the photos underwater where possible*

Knuckled and knobbed starfish

Gentle creatures that remain unchanged even before the dinosaurs (dinos died out around 65 million), before 350 million years ago. Unchanged, because their design is so perfect, just like the turtles.- Horseshoe Crabs

Sea Cucumbers... Look squishy and dangerous but they are really benign and cute!

There’s an active competition going on in SOS, and being crowned the champion team for tagging the most number of seashorses per trip is an honour!

Read on for the updated news!

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Dear Volunteers,

We are pleased to inform you that the volunteers slots from Feb to June 2009 are now open for bookings. You may browse the slots at "Survey Schedule" and make online reservations.

On the 1st Anniversary of our relationship… 20th of January, I proudly proclaim20 reasons why ruru is the best girl there is!

1) We share the same principles – We believe that people are kind and good in general. We believe that we have a responsibility towards mother earth and all its inhabitants, and we believe pursuing our dreams are one of the most important things in life.

We believe that Ren Zhi Chu, Xing Ben Shan (sorry this is a foreign pc without Chinese) and that there is inherent good in all people. Thus we should give the benefit of doubt to whoever we meet in life, that their intentions are kind and they mean well. This notion that everyone is out to gift you the leg up in life really cheers you up. Your mannerisms and your mood makes you more approachable and the more friends you have!

Compare that to the thought that everyone is out there to get you. It makes you feel like a misfit, and you eye everyone with distrust. It spoils the relationship with everyone you meet.

Two, we humans are but a strand in the web of life. Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves. Whatever irresponsible act we do to mother earth;- pollution, deforestation...it all comes back to us as death and disease, global warming and climate change. We must realize that we must be responsible in all our endeavours as there are repercussions to all our actions – ala the resonating-ripple. Some affect us directly, some affect our children and some affect our afterlife, or next life, whichever theory you subscribe to.

Ruru has been my strongest advocate in all things green and nature friendly. She’s my support in my lonely quest in recycling, environmental consciousness and conservation. And recently she’s volunteered to be involved in my elective posting if it involves Nature and conservation. I’m so happy to have her join me. But then, I wonder if she would change her mind when she knows a lot of time is spent under the sun :-P and in the bush! :-P :-P (she’s a mosquito magnet)

Life is dull and mundane without dreams. I have many many dreams. I listed 10 dreams to fulfill before age 21 before in a blog post but I’ve yet to complete two of them!

Ah well when it involves Bungee Jumping, Base jumping and the likes, I don’t expect immediate results. Hehe

One dream that shall see completion in the next few months would be Learning to Scuba Dive! I plan to do that in Terengganu whilst getting involved with SEATRU, a Universiti of Terengganu effort to help understand ht ecology of marine turtles.

One dream, one of the most important dream which I share with ruru is the need to have a gap year in which we shall travel and enjoy the best that the world can offer.Currently our sights are on New Zealand where we shall spend the six months pre housemanship working in farms- tending sheep, plucking apples, grapes and kiwifruits- and buying a car with the spoils and journey all across KIWI-land!

I hope as we grow older the more of our dreams will merge and bring us closer together. There is really nothing as sweet as having someone to share your dream with. It’s even better when that someone pursues that dream together with you!

Friday, January 9, 2009

It's just not feasible and extremely unhealthy for the growth of the country.

When I was small I supported the 'weighing-scales' for it symbolizes balance and harmony.

The older I grew the more I saw the truth behind the banners and flags.

Come elections I shudder at the sight of string and strings of political flags spread across traffic lamps and fences.

I was muddled....

Now past 21 it became more and more clear...

There is no best government- Barisan or Pakatan.What we need is check and balance. No party should hold the reigns of the government for too long or else corruption and mismanagement will set in.

BN has been holding on for 51 years and counting. Yes there has been progress but recently the coalition has poised itself for a nosedive, a downward spiral even. It is not a graceful loser. It isn't that great as a winner as well.

Post March 8 we have seen sour grapes in action where the Penang Monorail project has been shelved because it has fallen to the opposition.

We have seen how it corrupted the election machinery - The case of the indelible ink being scrapped at the very last minute.

We have seen how it has manipulated the media - The mainstream media

The English Media- TheStar and The New Strait TimesThe Malay Media- Utusan Melayu (which is almost a subsidiary of UMNO berhad)The Chinese media even - papers under MCA

where biased views and opinions; half truths and full lies rules the day- Case in point The Teresa Kok - mosque issue.

Utusan has vehemently pointed all fingers at her for silencing the azan where the issue never arised in the first place. This fact has been clarified by the ulamas themselves clearing her of the accusation but Utusan continued the bombardment.

coverage of Issues which glorify BN are given front page news while the not so pretty side of things are hidden under the rug

Disparaging news about the opposition are splashed on the front page of all BN controlled newspapers. The recent one the departure of a PKR politician is the best example... on the front page of Sunday Star 28th December the blaring title states

RIFT IN PAKATAN

The BN manipulates the security forces, the police - Causing the diversion of the police's civil duties from crime prevention to pre-emptive strikes on the opposition and any dissident voices. Use of ISA on reporters, RPK, opposition politicians, the Hindraf.... Stopping peaceful events like the JERIT cycling campaign, candlelight vigils- approval of use of excessive force during 'enforcement' duties... allowing pro-BN activities to run amok....

the final Straw for me is when BN manipulates the people. Destroying racial harmony, creating ethnic tension by propagating non-existent issues-proclaiming that

Ketuanan Melayu is under attack while people like Raja Petra and Syed Husin Ali clearly stated that they themselves do not comprehend the term Ketuanan Melayu - its a mirage and it definitely isn't under threat.

However racial tensions are not the fault of one individual, group or partyThis in one case where the all races are equally guilty..

However, such problems are worsened by misinformation and purposeful misdirectionRead UMNO's real face

This must not continue- such Schemes benefit no one and we as Malaysians end up losing.

I want to live in a harmonious country. I want my chinese friends to be able to liveunder one roof with Malaysians of all colours. These are my housemates in Laman Midah Apartments and we enjoy cooking dinner together, gossiping and trading naughty jabs... Can't the whole country be this way?

That's us practising physical examination on a stuffed cat

Another naughty photo I took of them, if not for our different sleeping times and if the hall was slightly bigger I would be sleeping in one of the blankets too!

Can't this be a common sight?

Let us please boycott acts that drive the wedge deeper.Let us hold hands to pull out the thorns driven into us by politiciansLet us be free of prejudice and racial bias that indirectly our friends and parents fed usLet us be open minded and accepting, Let us attempt to understand and realise that red blood runs in all of us

By Reading news that are neutral - TheSun, Malaysiakini

By learning each other's language, traditions, customs, religion

By Realising that many politicians of today who are self-crowned Champions of race are actually renegades that betray the country and constitution

By Realising that you can speak up and by heard. By choosing your words well, by being neutral, theres so much you can change.

By opening your heart and mind to the truth. And the truth is we can cross the divide.

I may be an island in promoting racial harmony among friends, but I have not given up because I have someone to confide in and share my aspirations. If you are someone who loves this country and wishes for racial harmony, please join hands with me.